Hannah Burley

A woolly hat maker has invested £50,000 in specialist equipment and relocated to larger premises to keep up with demand, as it targets a 30 per cent rise in sales.

Wonky Woolies, founded as a hobby by Borders-born Alison Pottie, has moved from Glasgow to Kelso to support expansion in line with its revenue targets.

The firm will also broaden its product range to include knitted scarves and headbands following an investment of some £50,000 in new machinery.

Wonky Woolies sells to customers across the UK and Ireland and now employs three members of staff, including Pottie’s husband, Graham, who joined the business last year to run the design suite and become a trained machine technician.

With support from Business Gateway Scottish Borders, the company is currently undertaking a growth and marketing strategy, with the aim of increasing sales by 30 per cent from both consumer and corporate customers.

Pottie said: “When we decided to invest in machinery that would allow us to diversify and ensure sustainable practices, it meant we were committing to being long-term manufacturers of our collection.

“That led to us relocating back to my childhood home in the Borders from Glasgow to find suitable premises that would complement this, while placing us at the heart of the textile community in Scotland.”

“We want to remain small batch producers and with the machinery in place now, we can do this whilst simultaneously increasing our sales.”